Inliytened1

There is the concept of alone sure. There's a concept of the Absolute too 😀 but one could also argue that the Absolute can so too be divided into Absolute facets - depending on how one views the Absolute or experiences the Absolute. Goodness, for one - or Divinity for another. Perhaps love, maybe? And maybe Aloneness too! It's possible anyway - in the Infinite expanse that is reality

But then that would be your belief.

Yeah but that just means they have turned a compilation of a group of different beliefs into one.

I don't see how that would be possible if you truly believed in one thing your mind would be locked.

Thanks ...i forgot to add that although Tolkien was brilliant i don't believe he was enlightened or knew much about mysticism. But his mind flowed with mystical thoughts. I believe he actually knew some visionary scientists who played fundamental roles in the discovery of quantum physics. And yes I know this is a thread from 2017 but as a huge Tolkien fan I couldn't resist.

But also there is an Alone as an Absolute- just as there is an Absolute Self with the collapse of self/other.

I refer to it a lot - mainly pertaining to Gandalf the Grey's battle with the Balrog, where he dies and returns as Gandalf fhe white. This is analogous, in my opinion, to ego death and enlightenment - dying and being reborn.

It did pass - it was only in that state of consciousness where self and other had collapsed.

Yes it certainly is blissful and liberating. There's definitely that. But I will never forget when I had that awakening , which I call Oneness - which for me was the final in a series of realizations spanning a 3 month period It was the most incredible experience of my life. However, at the same time I remember an awful feeling as well, that came over me. It was a feeling of complete aloneness in the universe. I had to pull my car over and sit at a gas station in absolute shock over what I had just realized - but in that mystical state of Consciousness it was laid bare for me - so there was no denying it. It was like the entire universe just opened up for me and my eyes were now wide open to the Truth. There was no going back for me. I also vividly recall looking at some of my coworkers at the time and realizing they were my own mind. Having conference calls with some people still in an enlightened state and knowing they were taking place within my own mind as God. It was beautiful but at the same time mind blowing and frightening to some degree. I was forced to leave work but I wasn't able to make it all the way home without pulling over in awe but also in shock that I was alone as God. There is nothing more wonderful, but like I said there was also a feeling of deep aloneness that really cannot be described until experienced. But that aloneness was also accompanied by the miraculous sense that the entire world was all mine as God and that I was the entire thing- creating all of it. So, for me it was a very complex, deep awakening that was a mixture of both terror, amazement, and bliss all wrapped nicely into one. Tears of joy flowed knowing I was God. But the shock and awe of being alone could also not be denied.

He will be warned for thread cluttering next time - ignore him.

@Ahbapx he's cluttering the thread with useless nonsense. The tv analogy was OK - but not delivered to expectations. If such behavior persists, it will be met with dire consequences.

@Hojo it's OK to be afraid of the possibility of Solipsism its horrifying to actually become directly conscious that everything and everyone is simply your own mind. Even the idea of it is hard to swallow- for any mind. The possibility alone is staggering. But to actually know it. Now that is a whole other matter.

There is also the non-dual realization that is enlightenment- it is truly the totality of all of infinity. While Infinity can also be ever expanding- there is such a thing as total Enlightenment. The awakened one can then proceed on to have an ever deeper understanding of reality. But enlightenment itself is total - so, in short, there are two perspectives of looking at this - making Inifnity paradoxical by its very nature. There is the enlightenment of total Infinity - but then there can be the further expression of infinity through actually living out new potential possibilities

Me too.

@Hojo it could just be a bunch of phat asses.

Haha. You seem to have a strange fascination with fat asses. I won't get between that. No pun intended.

You're quite welcome. Your understanding of God and tables was already quite advanced. I simply bumped it up a notch, you might say.

Oh but you are a table right now. Separation between any object in your direct observation and yourself is made only by your own mind creating distinctions. If you can somehow remove these distinctions from your mind, you will find that you and a table are not so different. In fact, by such logic it would not make you so different from God either.

Haha. Yes indeed there are many quarrels here surrounding this topic. So I can understand where the concept of enlightenment has become foggy..or shall we say, the waters have been muddied. Let's hear what he has to say.

It is assumed here he is referencing the awakening or realization of one's true nature. Is there anything else?

This is interesting to ponder. And an excellent question. One normally needs culture and the reliance of society to ultimately find their way, whether this be spirituality, or for that matter any art - from basic survival tactics all the way up to much more advanced areas of life such as science and spirituality. Being by yourself, isolated on an island, indeed puts you at a great disadvantage as you do not have the assistance of other minds to help you navigate life. In a sense, it could almost be said that you would be no different than the very first humans, as you would not have the collective society and the advancements made by previous generations for you to rely on. However with that said, this wouldn't make awakening impossible. Please note that awakening can also occur spontaneously - meaning divine states of consciousness can be accessible without any spiritual practices. In fact, suffering alone can induce divine, mystical states of consciousness - but this is not the norm. It is quite possible that you could go through life never awakening to your true nature. At the same time, it is quite feasible that you could. Because it does not necessarily require meditation practice or psychedelics. So the possibility exists, though not probable.

Maybe you should question your self too..just sayin...don't be like Descarte. He thought it was fair game to question everything except himself. But maybe that should be included if you want to get to the bottom of reality. I think therefore I am is just a saying after all.

That is indeed correct. But the shift between Absolute Infinity and the Infinity we as finite beings experience is quite brief. Like a flashing of light only to fade into the present moment.

Sorry for the spelling errors up there- I have since corrected it. I know my grammar is atrocious because I type on a little phone. Anyways - have you not learned or gleaned anything from AI here? Have you not learned that Infinity is simply paradoxical in nature? Yes - it is the Absolute. But also you can still become more and more of it - it is - dynamic and ever expanding. So while you are correct, your answer is also incomplete. For you forgo the very definition of Infinity - which is to always be something more. But also - to not be. You will not find logic here. So don't attempt to.

You caught that - as did I - but nonsensical does not mean not plausible. It just means it doesn't make "logical" sense. but who says reality was logical or sensible in the first place? And - to add to that - the definition of solipsism that Claude is referring to is not what actually is - it is about the ego mind being all there is The definition was expanded since he studied at university - he needs to get with the times